For more than two decades, Kaleo Wassman has been a constant presence in reggae-rock’s modern history—his voice instantly recognizable, his songwriting rooted in warmth, vulnerability, and lived experience. Best known as the frontman of Pepper, Wassman has spent much of his career on loud stages and long tours. But with his ongoing Back Home Sessions, he’s carving out something far more intimate: a space where songs breathe, stories unfold, and the connection between artist and audience feels almost sacred.
The inspiration traces back to a formative era. “In the ’90s, you had this MTV Unplugged series,” Wassman recalls. “When they stripped down with no distortion and you just listened to the song acoustically you were like, ‘This is incredible.’ Then some stories would come out and it just completely flips the script of all the other footage that I’ve ever seen from them before.” That sense of revelation—of rediscovering familiar music in its rawest form—became the emotional blueprint for what would eventually evolve into the Back Home Sessions.
Unlike a traditional concert, these shows are designed to feel personal and grounded. “The Back Home Sessions is a personalized show that I get to bring home acoustic style,” Wassman explains. “We got the flowers, we got the candles, very small, very intimate, open to keiki to kupuna, which is children to grandparents.” Guests are seated at tables draped in black cloth, candles flickering as the music unfolds—less a crowd, more a shared living room.
The setlists pull from well-known material, but the experience is intentionally different. “You’re just able to sit down… and you just get to watch an acoustic experience,” he says. “You’re not getting blown out with friends that are playing their songs that are well known in a different way with a story explaining how it may have come about.” Songs become conversations, and melodies are framed by memory rather than volume.
Collaboration remains central to the concept. Wassman has previously welcomed members of Iration, and this year’s sessions will feature Miles from Slightly Stoopid. “We’re going to be able to do 50 minutes me, 50 minutes him, and then 40 minutes us,” he says. “It’s really a cool… different texture.” The emphasis, as always, is on contrast—familiar voices reframed, longtime friendships translated into sound.
For Wassman, the Back Home Sessions aren’t about reinvention so much as return. They strip away the noise to reveal what’s always been at the core of his music: storytelling, service, and connection. In rooms lit by candles instead of stage rigs, Kaleo Wassman isn’t just performing—he’s inviting listeners home.
Watch the interview with Kaleo Wassman from Closer To The Sun:
